ACM Issue 003: The Artists Process by Art Concept Magazine

A_C _ M _ RT

ONCEPT

AGAZINE FALL 2 017

ISSUE 003

THE ARTISTS PROCESS

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DEAR WORLD 02

While working on the last issue of Art Concept Magazine I realized just how fascinated I had become with how artists work and what specific methods and techniques they use to create their pieces of art. While I have always been interested in what drives artists to create their art, I’ve never really posed the question of ‘how they do it.’ Art making is a very intricate and detailed process. New processes and methods are being created every day. There are so many ways to use materials to create art. From the traditional arts to new experimental forms of art; artists everywhere are coming up with their own processes to create the magic that inspires us all. In this issue of ACM we get to get in the heads of some of the people I’ve gotten the chance to meet during my time at university and in my hometown of Birmingham, but also some that are based elsewhere like Nashville, Los Angeles, New York and Boston. While brainstorming on what to do for a centerpiece for this issue I spent quite some time reflecting on my own work and what would best represent the artist’s process. For me, the artist’s process is something that is very personal to each individual but also is telling of their desires, personal aesthetics, and motives. I have chosen a set of images that I shot as a human figure study with model Brooke Bednarz. The images took multiple days in the studio working on getting the perfect exposure and movement combinations. Plus we wanted to add in mixed color lights with all the other chaos of strobes and poses. Working on this project stretched me as a photographer as I was not too familiar with studio lighting at the time. After shooting I fell in love with the images I had created with the layers of limbs and details that could get lost in the overall form of the human body. It was only weeks later after I was revisiting the images when I decided to add more depth and layer them in photoshop with different blend modes applied to them. This is what made this issue really come to life with the simple, yet eye-catching cover and centerpiece. The cover/centerpiece was definitely one of process and trial and error. Sometimes I can find myself getting more caught up in the process than the actual work itself. I hope all of you reading this can take a second look and what you’re actually doing to create your work rather than just seeing what is produced at the end. It can be a very fun process to be more invested in the process than the end product sometimes and also can push you to create something you never imagined before.

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This issue, in stead of showcasing our own feed we want to highligh our favorite feeds on instagram that inspire us every day and we think you should follow!

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T H E _ B R A I N S 2

E D I T O R S _ L E T T E R

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J O H N _ C R A F T

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I M N O T M E A R L Y M E L

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C H R I S T I N A _ X I N G

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A S H L E I G H _ H I L L

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T H E _ C O M P L E X _ G I R L S

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A L I S O N _ K . _ S A Y L O R

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M O V E M E N T S _ C O V E R

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B A D _ G A L S

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_ ISSUE 003 _ FALL 2017

SPECIAL _ THANKS _ V i v i a n J a p a l

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E r i n J a p a l

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A l i s o n K . S a y l o r

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A s h l e i g h H i l

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A m a n d a L e

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C h r i s t i n a X i n g

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J o h n C r a f t

@ j o h n c r v f t

M a r e s h a S t u r d i v a n t M a r g i e P o w e r s B r i t t a ny G o o d w i n CharmaineGoodwin J e n e l l e S m i t h T a y l o r H a u p t

@ m e e s s h h h _ @ m j p o w e r s 1 2 @ b r i t t a ny b g o o d @blackcharmer @ j e n e l l e s m i t h _ @ t a y h a u p t

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T i a

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FIRST GLANCE ART CONCEPT MAGAZINE

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REAL & ROSEMARY

Location: Homewood, AL Open daily from 11 am to 9 pm realandrosemary.com In the heart of Homewood, AL is a quaint white building serving hearty, but fresh and clean meals. Real & Rosemary is a restaurant that aims to make the homecooked meal and family dinner community an everyday occurrence. Today, it’s just a fact that everyone is busy. Whether it’s keeping up with deadlines for work while making sure you’re getting to your 8 am on time, all while keeping up with your social life, life gets hectic every now and then. Most of us don’t even have time to sit down and eat a meal, let alone cook one ourselves. In a society where everyone’s constantly on the go finding a place to stop in and get a quick but delicious meal can be hard. Recently I stopped by Real & Rosemary while in Birmingham, and let me tell you it was everything I could have wanted in a restaurant and more. From the large windows that filled the place with natural light, the greenery and the staff that was willing to tell me about every single thing on the menu when I asked.

T h e

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When it comes to their menu R&R offers a wide variety of options, from green pea and pistachio dip to flounder cakes. I was not only amazed at all the variety, but also the freshness and attention to detail of each dish and its pairings. Their menu is split into nine sections: SNACKS, SALADS, SANDWICHES, PLATES, GARDEN SIDES, KIDS MENU, KIDS PLATES & SIDES, DESSERT, AND FEASTING THYME. Each section completely different and original. If you want a lighter meal take a look at the salads or snacks section. If you want a heartier meal try one of their plates which comes with two of their garden sides or for a family feast try their feasting thyme which serves four.

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Overall, R&R has an amazingly chill atmosphere where you could pick up lunch with your coworkers or go get drinks with your friends on a Saturday night. They are a must-go-to if you’re in Birmingham.

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When visiting R&R I had the spice-rubbed chicken with chipotle lime vinaigrette, the yellow pepper slaw, and brussels sprouts with butternut squash. Now the fun part, talking about the food. The chicken was perfectly cooked, tender and juicy, but having the chipotle lime vinaigrette over the top made the flavor even more complex and mouthwatering. Both sides were just as delicious and flavorful. The yellow pepper slaw was slightly spicy and tangy, and the brussels sprouts with butternut squash were perfectly seasoned and a nice crunch added to the meal. R&R also offers an array of in-house made infused waters, orange blossom lemonade, hot tea, or beer, wine (served all day) and cocktails which are served after four to enjoy with your meal.

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TRUST THE PROCESS “I EXPERIENCE A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT WHEN I COMPLETE A WORK, BUT IT IS THE PERPETUAL LOVE OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS THAT DRIVES MY ARTISTIC GROWTH.” – LISA RENNER

“PERSIST IN YOUR PRACTICE, AND BELIEVE THAT NOTHING – NOT TIME, MATERIALS OR LONGING – IS WASTED IN REALIZING YOUR DREAMS… WORK FROM YOUR HEART WITH THINGS THAT YOU LOVE.” – MARIE DANTI,

“I’M A VERY RESTLESS PERSON. I’M ALWAYS DOING SOMETHING. THE CREATIVE PROCESS NEVER STOPS.” – OSCAR DE LA RENTA

“THE ARTISTIC PROCESS SEEMS TO BE MYTHOLOGIZED QUITE A LOT INTO SOMETHING FAR GREATER THAN IT ACTUALLY IS. IT IS JUST HARD LABOR.” – NICK CAVE

“CRAFT IS PART OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS” – GAVIN BRYARS

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CREATIVE JUICES “AH, THE CREATIVE PROCESS IS THE SAME SECRET IN SCIENCE AS IT IS IN ART. THEY ARE ALL THE SAME ABSOLUTELY.” – JOSEF ALBERS

“THE CREATIVE PROCESS IS MYSTERIOUS; A CONVERSATION, A RIDE IN THE CAR, OR A MELODY CAN TRIGGER SOMETHING.” – ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ INARRITU

“WE ARE THE YIN AND THE YANG OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS.” – CYNTHIA WEIL “PLAY, HAVE FUN AND TAKE RISKS. SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOUR WORK. IT’S NOT YOUR JOB TO LIKE OR LOVE YOUR WORK. YOUR JOB IS TO ENJOY THE PROCESS OF CREATING IT.” – WYANNE – WINTER ’16 ACRYLIC ARTIST

“THERE ARE REALLY THREE PARTS TO THE CREATIVE PROCESS. FIRST THERE IS INSPIRATION, THEN THERE IN THE EXECUTION, AND FINALLY THERE IS THE RELEASE.” – EDDIE VAN HALEN

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MARGIE POWERS

ART WORK BY MAARGIE POWERS

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THE HEART

I’m Margie Powers, a senior at the University of Alabama working to get her BFA in digital media and drawing! Inside the classroom, I make an effort to learn and understand the technical side of art. I also use my time in the classroom to experiment with different materials and try different techniques under the guidance of my professors. I do a lot of investigational work and I often try to incorporate a narrative into my pieces that, if the idea works and I feel like there is more to develop, I bring outside the classroom into my personal work. My personal work focuses on sequential art-which is the modern, fancy name they’ve given to comics so that people will take it more seriously. I’ve been interested in comics since I was a little kid. My grandmother and I used to read the comic strips in the newspaper together when my mom would drop me off for the day. Both my mom and my dad worked, so I got to spend my summers at my grandparents’ house with my sisters and cousins. My eldest cousin also liked to read comics, but he read the Japanese version, manga. It was these two influences that fostered my continued interest in comics throughout my childhood, but it was my eldest sister’s love of writing that made me realize that I had the power to make my own comics. So that’s what I did! I started drawing all the time, just little stories about my day or the adventures of this humanoid cat-thing I created named ‘Cleek.’ My love of drawing continued through grade school and into high school, which is where I got my first experience in the “fine arts.” I eventually continued my education of the fine arts at the University of Alabama as a BA and then a BFA, but it wasn’t until I read Art Spiegelman’s Maus that I realized fine art and comics could not only peacefully coexist, they could rock each other’s worlds. And also comics were something to take very, very seriously—as an art form, of course, I love funny comics just as much as the next guy. I started doing

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MARGIE POWERS

some serious readings on comics and I was even able to attend a lecture given in Birmingham by Scott McCloud, who is like the head honcho in comic theory. I started reading as many comics, graphic novels, manga, and Sunday strips as I could get my hands on and digesting them with a critical eye. I also started consuming as many stories in whatever medium that I could find. I feel as if for me the magic of comics lies in the story. The narrative is important because the stories we tell each other reflect who we are and what we value. Especially in today’s world, knowing who we are is important because it allows us to meet the unknown not with fear, but with hope and excitement because we know our story. And we can be eager and open to learning the stories of others. I’m actually working towards creating my own story/web comic this year and I’m entertaining the idea of getting my masters in sequential art at SCAD after I graduate from UA. Who knows? I’m at that exciting part of my life where I’m free to go anywhere, so I’m going to do some serious soul searching to figure out where I want to be. But wherever I end up, I’m certain it’ll be one helluva story.

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THE HEART

17 ART WORK BY MAARGIE POWERS

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MARGIE POWERS

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JOHN CRAFT

PHOTOGRAPHY BY NYCK RENARD

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THE HEART ACM: What started your fascination with photography? JOHN CRAFT: Birmingham. The City of Birmingham has always been a love of mine. My photography started by just exploring cities and taking low angle shots of buildings. I did my first photoshoot with a friend in Mobile on an iPhone 6s with one of the Ollo clips. So I guess I’d say street photography is how I fell in love with photography and then I just decided to add a person in front of the same things I’d already photograph.

ACM: Wh e n/How did t h e idea of Por-

ACM: W h e r e these

do you net work s going

traitBHM/Por traitBOS come about? JC: The idea for PortraitBHM started in late January 2017. We made our first post on January 31. The idea for it was pretty simple honestly. I wanted a place for creatives to gather. I wanted to help unite photographers and models in a field that can be very competitive. I kept seeing many talented photographers and many talented models in the Birmingham area, but it seemed like the photographers and models didn’t know each other. There seemed to be chasm between the two. PortraitBHM from the start has strived to be the bridge to connect the two. I wanted to feature people who are talented and deserve to have their creativity known. And I can say that it has worked. Since the start, we grown to over 700 followers. Parents have contacted us about finding photographers for their children’s photoshoots. Magic City Fashion Week told us we have helped them find more Birmingham based models, which means the world to me. PortraitBHM exist to propel the creatives of Birmingham forward to achieve their dreams. The same is true for PortraitBOS. PortraitBOS is still in the working of getting recognized in the city of Boston. My hope is that I can do the same things with that while hopefully helping PortraitBHM grow. see both of i n t h e f u t u r e?

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN CRAFT

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JOHN CRAFT JC:

I’m honestly not sure. As many people know, I am moving to Boston in October. Pretty soon, I’ll be handing PortraitBHM off to a friend of mine. My hope is to create something that is bigger than one city. A collective of collectives if you will. But I can’t reveal too much about that yet. I can tell you that the near future is awesome. On September 16, we will host our 5th meet up. It’s going to be a mashup with Magic City Fashion Week. What that’s going to look like is PortraitBHM host a meet up while Fashion Week bloggers attend and then do write ups about PortraitBHM. We also have another mashup planned for early October, but one event at a time.

ACM: D o

you feel that photography is more about the ar t or the technique? JC: Both. I am a firm believer that everything is art, some of it’s not very good, but it can be. You can get caught up in technicalities a lot of times. At the same time, knowing the techniques helps you create great art. I also think that the technique in which one creates is an art itself. It’s like shooting with film, if you don’t learn the techniques of film, you might not have good photos at the end of the shoot.

ACM: Why do you think it’s impor tant to have a net work of photographer/models? I think community is important. If you surround yourself with creative talented people, it’s going to inspire you to become more creative, therefore, furthering your talent/skill set. One person told me that the meets up PortraitBHM does are an answer to her prayers for a community of creatives. Since PortraitBHM started, I’ve seen people work together that maybe never would have known each other.

JC:

ACM: How do you keep your photography authentic/your own in a society that’s so internet based? PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN CRAFT

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THE HEART JC:

That’s a tough one. Having the internet is what enables me to find my inspiration. I think for me, when I decided to start doing portraits, I just had a clear vision of what I wanted my photography to look like. I found my favorite urban portrait photographers and I’ve done my best be a melting pot in a way. I hope my photography is truly authentic, but I also think that I have a similar style to people in the Northeast or West Coast. Everyone’s using prisms or CDs to throw rainbows. A lot of people are putting models in colorful bushes. A ton of people are using shadow play with the models hand to cast a shadow on her face. I do all of those things. I guess my authenticity comes from my surroundings. I just recently did a laundry may shoot, I felt my most authentic moments were when I had the model stand on a trash can or a generator box. It was so simple and uncreative that it felt authentic to me.

ACM: Can you describe your creative process? JC: I can try. The first thing I always try to do is create a relationship with the model. I want both of us to be comfortable together. Both people need to know they can have creative freedom on the photoshoot. The second thing is matching outfits with locations. This is what helps with getting to know the model before the shoot many times. I think about details. I want to know what clothes I’m going to be able to work before I even get to the shoot. During the shoot, I just start a conversation that hopefully leads to a dope friendship. I don’t like doing too much directing, so many times I’m very quiet while the camera is at my face. I try my best to get natural movement instead of forced poses.

ACM: D o y o u f e e l , a s a n a r t i s t /c r e ator, you have a responsibilit y to culture? JC: Yes. I’ve found that photographers/cinematographers/models/etc help the direction of where culture goes through social media. If nothing else, I PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN CRAFT

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JOHN CRAFT think photographers have a responsibility to keep up with culture. I’ve just never been a person who simply wants to keep up, I like to lead. For my personal life, I want to plant a church in the city of Boston that focuses on the people of the arts, whether that’s musicians, photographers, models, fashion, etc. For me, photography came out of nowhere. I didn’t own a camera 9 months ago. I had an iPhone and my Instagram feed was all vsco edits. I think God has allowed this creative outlet in my life so I can have influence in those areas of culture specifically.

ACM: Are you more passionate about the process of creating or the final product? JC: 70/30. 70% process/30% final product. I say that because editing

is such a huge piece of the process. I love being on a shoot and getting cool shots and seeing a concept come to life. I love editing. I absolutely love it when I get that one edit to a point of being able to say, “This is it, don’t touch it!”

ACM: What do you feel you’ve learned or accomplished with PortraitBHM? JC: I’ve learned more about event planning. I’ve learned that you must be willing to answer the same questions about what you do, a lot. And you have got to answer it like it’s the first time you’ve been asked and you’re just so excited that someone wants to know your vision for whatever it is that you’re doing. I think I’ve accomplished my initial goal. Showcase creatives in the Birmingham area and create a community. The community and support around PortraitBHM blows me away. Our hashtag has been used over 1000 times. People tag us in their photos all day, every day. After each meet up, we see an increase in captions specific to PortraitBHM.

ACM: What do you have planned next, concerning Por traitBHM? JC: I feel like I answered this question too early. We have the mash up with Magic City Fashion Week. We are meeting a street photographer soon to talk collaborations. Nyck Renard will be handling future plans for the most part. However, I do want to be involved still because I love Birmingham and have committed myself to seeing it’s growth for many years. I do have hopes to create something that will spread to multiple cities. As soon as I created PortraitBOS, people from Boston found it and were commenting about how glad they were that Boston had a feature page to promote models and photographers. So, you might be seeing a new collective company raise up soon. Nothing is definite yet.

you

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john

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN CRAFT

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IMNOTMERELYMEL

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THE HEART ACM:

Can

you

introduce

yourself

our

readers.

Melyssa Cabigao: My name is Melyssa Cabigao, often referred to as Mel. I go by imnotmerelymel on Instagram and YouTube. I am the most random and weird, maybe craziest, person you could ever meet. I also have a deep love for fashion, make up, music, and just art in general.

ACM: Can you explain the meaning behind your Insta/YouTube name “imnotmerelymel” ? MC: Before I had the name imnotmerelymel, my domain name was dopeismelyssa which

ACM:

Who

inspires

you

the

most,

s t y l e/ b e a u t y

wise?

MC: I can’t pinpoint who inspires me the most. I feel like everyone and everything inspires me equally. All the celebrities I see, people I see walking across the street, a dog being walked, the sky, etc. It’s very strange but I’m serious about the dog part. The color of the dog or even what it might be wearing can inspire me to like a certain color for a moment and look for pieces of clothing that color or incorporate that color into a makeup look one day. I just feed off the energy released by everything and anything.

ACM: What is your process for creating content for your YouTube/Instagram? MC: If it’s for YouTube, I am either filming outside somewhere around LA where I live or in my bedroom. For makeup and beauty videos, I set up a back drop and sometimes just film in front of a wall in my room. For Instagram, I am constantly taking pictures wherever I am. Majority of the time I am dressed up or I am wearing a well composed outfit and I make sure I document it by taking a picture. I also shoot with local photographers, some of which I am friends with. I also have my little sister help me take pictures of myself with my iPhone sometimes. My

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is just “melyssa is dope”, but backwards. After a while of having that name, it started to feel boring and not original. I started to brainstorm different names for a few days. I told myself I didn’t want to be basic and have my domain name something like “heyitsmel” or “omgitsmel” or just my first and last name, nothing like those simple, quick names you can only think of when you create a social media account of some sort. I wanted my name to describe and really represent who I am. As I was trying to come up with a name, the words “I’m Mel” would constantly cross my mind. But that’s too simple, right? The problem was that I couldn’t think of one word that describes me because I’m so many things, the list of words can go on and on. Then, it hit me. I wanted my name to represent something like “I am this but I’m also that”. The use of “not merely” can be used when people are saying something along the lines of “this is not merely this, but it is also that”. So I put “I’m Mel” and “not merely” together and I got “imnotmerelymel”, which is the best way to explain who I am. “I’m not merely Mel. I am also…”

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IMNOTMERELYMEL content that seem the most professionally done are usually the ones I make by myself in my own home. One of my works on my Instagram that I did with my sister was of me submerged in pink water and surrounded by flowers. That was actually done in my bathtub and shot with my iPhone. I believe that you don’t always need really expensive equipment and a studio set to make really captivating and great content.

ACM: How do you keep your style interesting or unique without getting caught in a rut? MC: I keep my style interesting or unique by just being the impulsive person that I am. I tend to get inspired a lot and when I do I have to follow through with whatever I get inspired to do. It’s like an itch I get. I have to scratch it, but in this case I just have to do it at that moment. When it comes to clothes and makeup and my hair, I’m always trying new things. I tend to get bored easily too. When I was in high school, I shaved both sides of my head before senior year. That year I had a slick back and dyed it many colors. I would go back and forth from growing it out to shaving one side or both. Later on after I graduated I started to wear wigs, which I still do to this day. And at the moment I have a shaved head, and that happened because one night I was bored and decided to shave the rest of my hair off. I am often told by friends and family that I look different everytime they see me. I can’t stress it enough of how impulsive I am and how bored I get of things so easily. ACM: What’s the hardest part about creating content for your social media platforms? MC: The one of the hardest parts of creating content is keeping that original and unique feel to my content. The internet is such a dope place and there are so many creative and amazing people out there. Especially in the beauty and fashion industry, you have to keep up with everything and everyone. Life is constantly evolving and moving. Sometimes it is hard to keep up with it all. With all that going on, I want to create relevant yet original content which can be difficult. Something else I struggle with is trying to make perfect content. I am very particular of how I want things. When I film, the clothes I wear, the way I edit my videos, etc.

ACM: Can you describe your creative process? Meaning how you get ideas, planning? MC: I have moments where I can be at the grocery store or the mall and I randomly get a rush of ideas. It’s a good and bad thing because there are also times where I feel like I can’t make anything. But once I get an idea, I go full out. I go with it and I tend to be “very extra” when I make content. The moment I get an idea, I just make a list of things I need to bring the idea to life. I don’t really plan things out in-depth, I just go with it.

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IMNOTMERELYMEL ACM: What started your fascination with style and clothes and beauty? MC: When I was in Kindergarten, I would see celebrities on TV wearing very stylish

outfits and hair styles that people usually don’t wear on a daily basis. I admired how different they looked. I soon developed this mindset of not being like everyone else. I didn’t like or want to look like everyone else. I remember throughout elementary school and middle school I would do whatever I could to make my uniform different than everyone else, sometimes I would get in trouble because it violated dress code but over time they would let me slide. And then in high school, I didn’t dress like all the other girls. I completely stood out in the group of friends I had. I just love how expressive and different you can be with the clothes you wear, the way you wear make up, and the hair you had. I see my outfits, makeup, and hair as art.

ACM: Are you more passionate about the process of creating or the final product? MC: I am passionate about both. The process is the journey and the final product is the destination. I find that I learn a lot while creating something as well as from the end result. Both are very rewarding.

ACM:

How

you

find

inspiration?

MC: I am inspired by life. The people I come across, people and things I see on my instagram feed, animals, etc. Like I mentioned, I feed off the energy I receive from everything and anything. I really love how inspiration finds me in that way.

ACM: From an ar tist perspective what do you find is the hardest

part

creating

new

art

for

yo u r

v i e we r s/Fo l l owe r s ?

MC: I find it difficult creating content that my followers will like. Everyone is different. Some content I make may please people but may also not please others. Just trying to find the balance between creating art that people will like and that I genuinely feel proud about.

ACM:

What

you

have

planned

next?

MC: I have no clue. All that I know is that I will never stop evolving my style and creating art. you can follow Mel on instagram and YouTube @imnotmerelymel

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CHRISTINA XING

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Earlier this year I got the opportunity to meet Christina Xing. Christina is a very talented 18-year-old director from Birmingham, AL. We spent the afternoon getting to know each other over coffee and heartbreak cookies. We also may or may not have gone to a playground just to get the perfect photos. I am always amazed by the talent of such young people in Birmingham and Christina is no exception. As she moves to LA to continue her career in film I hope nothing but the best for her and her talented self. so enjoy this interview where I got to pick her brain about her process and upcoming endeavors.

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CHRISTINA XING ACM: What started your fascination with directing.

Christina Xing: When I was kid I always loved telling stories. I got bullied a lot for being Asian when I was younger, so I learned to run my mouth quick and tell all sorts of funny stories about being Asian. This saved me from being beat up in elementary school on several occasions. It’s pretty funny thinking about it now. This skill eventually turned into a hobby. I wrote little short stories and made scene recreations in middle school of my favorite blockbuster hits. When I reached high school, I probably watched over 1000 films my freshman year of high school, because I just felt so damn lonely all the time. Films made me feel like I mattered and I was a part of something big and important even if it was only for an hour or two. So watching eventually turned to making. It’s weird, films were always a part of my life. They were like a constant that I’d turn to when things went to shit. Making films with my closest friends in high school brought us all closer together. The art imitated life and the life imitated art. I guess to answer your question in a nutshell, my fascination with directing was always a hidden constant in my life. Being alienated as a kid led me to feel really lonely as a teen and the cinema was the only thing that taught me otherwise. It allowed me to live any lifetime. To be anything. To be confident.

ACM: What’s been the hardest part for you? CX: The final shoot is always the hardest part. Think about it, this film is your baby for months.. maybe even years. You’ve poured your heart into these characters. You built bonds and relationships with this crew you’ve spent countless of hours with. And this is the last time you’ll physically see your characters in person. The rest of it after this point is cutting it all together.

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THE HEART That’s always the most heartbreaking thing for me because I get so attached to everything to do with the film, I don’t want it to be over at that point. All the sleepless night, countless of tears, sweat and laughs to get to that point. It’s bitter sweet haha.

ACM: How much does funding affect your art? Do you have to compromise as a filmmaker because of financial restrictions?

CX: The next three films I’m releasing next year all had

ACM: Do you feel that being a woman film maker is important, in a field where women are underrepresented?

CX: For sure! Women have unique stories and perspectives that deserve to be heard and shared. Representation is so so important. Stories are meant to be relatable to some extent, and it becomes a problem when you’re asking men to tell the stories that women LIVE and EXPERIENCE. I mean just the fact that if a director is a woman, people call her a female filmmaker rather than just a filmmaker because when the general public thinks filmmaker, they usually assume you’re talking about a man.

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budgets (Around 2k-5k). Funding makes a HUGE difference. The quality of equipment and props/costumes adds so much more to the final product. It also adds a layer of pressure that ensures you’ll make the film worth it to those who invested. I’m able to make films without funding, it’s just not the same quality or tier as the work I make with funding. When I first get a budget, I make four spreadsheets each with a list of NEED, WANT, EXTRA. This helps me budget out all the money I get into FOOD/ TRANSPORTATION, COSTUMES, PROPS, EQUIPMENT. This prevents any future heartbreak because I always make sure I stay within the budget. Often this comes with lots of compromise, but it’s not devastating.

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THE HEART My goal is to eliminate the masculinity behind the word ‘filmmaker’ and instead of being a Chinese filmmaker or a female filmmaker. I can just be a GREAT filmmaker. A world where that word doesn’t just mean you’re a white male.

ACM: how do you know when the story

f i n i s he d ?

Whe n

walk

away?

CX: Usually when I read the final copy of a screen-

ACM: How do you keep your stories fresh in the world that has “seen it all before”?

CX: Everyone’s weird and lonely and wants to connect to something bigger. Everyone’s confused and scared and trying to figure out why they are here or what life truly means. These are things the ancients have been trying to crack for years, and have yet to come closer to a definite answer. So. I guess to really cope with it all we make art that tries to bring us closer to these questions. My take on keeping things fresh is just to be honest and sincere in what I’m trying to articulate. The stories where you are honest, and the ones that you create to make people feel like they’ve stepped closer to any of these core life questions, or feel a little bit closer to something bigger than life… Or hell, even if people feel just a little less alone. That’s what keeps stories fresh. Honesty. Vulnerability. Passion. These are things that never get old to anyone.

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play that’s ready for production. I have this gut feeling. When I read it I’m fully absorbed in the story, and I don’t think about previous drafts at all. The final draft is usually the one where I’m able to visualize in my head the whole entire thing from start to finish with no loopholes. That’s when you know it’s time to walk away.

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CHRISTINA XING AC M :

Can

you

describe

your

c re a t i v e

p ro c e s s ?

CX: I try to write for 20 minutes a day, and I try to watch a movie at least once a week. The writing usually leads to a bunch of jibber jabber, but every once in a while I’ll find something really meaningful that will stick out. That’s how I came up with the idea for Goldfish.

As for the film watching, that’s honestly what helps me the most. Studying what the greatest filmmakers have done and why they make these choices as directors. What these mean to them. How art has imitated their lives or not at all. I’d like to think it’s like building a tool kit. Each filmmaker is a different tool in the kit, and having knowledge of the things they’ve done allows you to one day maybe use one of the tools. When the filmmaking bug bites, I first start off with developing a story, whether that be with a writer or by myself. After months of endless drafts and stale coffee cups, you’re finally on to storyboarding the film and going through the script to articulate meaningful beats/moments and actions to give actors. Finally, you schedule. PLAN PLAN PLAN. PLAN NING IS WHAT MAKES GOOD SETS. You rehearse with actors and then go into production. My personal favorite part. Th e n on to post production. Etc..

ACM: Do you feel, as an artist and creator, that you have a responsibility to culture? CX: I think it’s an artist’s responsibility to make the world better. Whether that be in the microcosm or macrocosm. It’s an unspoken rule amongst artists. However, I don’t know if that necessarily means to culture. Sometimes people go to films to forget reality and just disappear for a bit, not everyone goes to the cinema to learn something or be taught something. Some people just wanna laugh, feel terrified or just to not think for a bit. And films that do just these things are adding to the microcosm of the world. They go on and make one person or more achieve what they decided they wanted to experience from the cinema that day. And I think that’s kind of beautiful and awesome. By making art with the mindset of culturing people, I think that kind of limits yourself. Sharing a perspective or different input by chance, however, is the key to making people become more open to different things. To read our fulL interview with Christina visit our website.

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ASHLEIGH HILL If you’re an OG and have been reading the past two issues of ACM then you definitely know who Ashleigh Hill is. She is the Artistic Mastermind behind Style Bone Fuze and Fuzetime Productions. But now she has left the south and headed East to work with the cultural powerhouse Milk Studios. “Milk stands at the cross roads of fashion, music, photography, and film worlds. A media company based out of New York and Los Angeles--Milk Spans contemporary culture and is a hub for nurturing creativity and supporting partnerships with some of the industry’s most visionary talent and innovative brands.” m i l k . x y z

With her taking on a new adventure I had to hear all about what shes doing in New York and how it has changes her art in the process. Heres what she had to say.

ACM: What do - “MILK SPANS CONTEMPORARY - you do at Milk? Ashleigh Hill: I am nator and producer

ACM: What’s your AH: My favortype of artwork social improvesocial justice, so point but if

ACM:

CULTURE AND IS A HUB FOR NUR-

an event coordi-

TURING CREATIVITY AND SUPPORT- at Milk Studios. ING PARTNERSHIPS WITH SOME OF

favorite art form?

THE INDUSTRY’S MOST VISIONARY ite art form is any that relates to ment, and I couldn’t pinI’d say video.

TALENT AND INNOVATIVE BRANDS.” - -MILK.XYZ I

had

How

did

pinpoint, you

discover

art?

AH: I dis covere d ar t b e caus e my mot her is ver y into ar t, and

ACM:

b e l i eve

that

What

jus t

inspires

kind

n a t u ra l l y

yo u/ ke e p s

you

happened. going?

AH: Every day I wake up I’m inspired, and I wish I had more time because I’m consistently inspired and feel like I have too many projects

AC M :

What

does

your

art

making

process

look

like?

AH: It starts very jumbled, and it’s almost like an equation. And so, I write

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ASHLEIGH HILL

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THE HEART on a piece of paper in the center the most impor tant points and then grow it out wards

and a lot of other artists I feel like would work well, but any artist, street artists of course always street artists.

ACM:

ACM: Is there any thing you want to do

W h o ’s

your

favorite

artist?

with your art that you haven’t gotten to do?

AH: Andy Warhol and Bradley Theodore… tied, but Andy has my heart, we’re soulmates.

ACM: Has one piece of ar t ever impacted

you

much

you

st ill

remember

it?

AH: If I said one piece impacted me id lied, I feel like

ACM: What impact do you want to make in the art world? AH: I want to make an impact in the art world again through social justice, I want to use my artwork to make the world a better place cause I feel like art is an allaround connector and so art work ultimately is easy for everyone to understand because they’re all viewing it, but I like that different perceptions can be taken when artwork is seen… but I would like to change the world one day!

with my art! I feel like there’s a whole world coming in right now and I’m just coming up with it and spending my time developing it so when I can release all my art and blahblahblah it’ll come out, I don’t know, my art is developing each and every day and we’ll just have to see how it goes, but hopefully changing the world with my work, that’s my number one. I feel just the world has forgotten what’s important and there’s so many things in our world that were spending our time focused on when there are real issues, like for example as simple as the world ending because of methane and I’d say they’re simple but they’re our biggest problems but were too busy worrying about the minor problems that are our daily problems that in reality don’t matter because eat the end of the day were all humans and were all trying to help each other

ACM: Personally, what type of art do you prefer? AH: Pop-art and I prefer impressionists’ art, I prefer art that’s unique and different and not to the norm

ACM: Which artists would you want to work with most? AH: Andy Warhol, I would love to just, you know, the only person dead or alive that you could eat with and you choose one…Its him for me. I feel as if he is the person I’m meant to be working with. We are unfortunately a little short of each other’s times, I also believe that Kandinsky and I would work really well together

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every piece that I see impacts me, some more than others, but that’s usually when they’re having a deeper meaning and ironically the deeper meaning intertwines with me

AH: Oh My Gosh! There’s so many things I want to do

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THE COMPLEX GIRLS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANELLE SMITH

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THECOMPLEXGIRLS C

A C M : t h i n g y o u c a n’t l i v e w i t h o u t ? CHARMAINE: Lipgloss! I have an obsession. I have so many different types of lipglosses in my bag. A C M : CG: My

ACM:Fave CG: I

S t y l e mom and ice love

cream Butter

i c o n ? Rihanna. flavor? Pecan!

A C M : F a v e c o l o r ? CG: I grew up not really having a favorite color but now I really love the color yellow! I think it looks really nice against my skin complexion. ACM: Fave p l a c e/c i t y ? CG:New York City! My sister and I visited it once with our half sister. It was the best trip because I did some many things for the first time like ride the subway and eat pizza! AC M : F a v e c l o t h i n g p i e c e y o u o w n ? CG: My black highwaisted Levi’s jeans. They go with everything and are very flattering on me. ACM:Fave place to shop? Thrift stores! I find that I spot many items in thrift stores that eventually become hot trends. ACM: Fave season? CG:Fall/Winter. I love cooler weather so I can pair coats and jackets with my outfits. ACM: Fave Yo uTu b e r/ blogger? CG: I love Jenn Im and Jackie Aina! They are so down to earth! Watching their videos on Youtube always puts me in a happy mood.

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A C M : t h i n g y o u c a n’t l i v e w i t h o u t ? BRITTANY: Listening to guided meditations on Youtube. :) A C M : BG: My

S t y l e mom and

i c o n ? Rihanna.

ACM: Fave ice cream flavor? BG: Chocolate chip cookie dough! It’s so good!

A C M : F a v e c o l o r ? BG: I have three. Blue, lavender, and green. All the cool colors. Lol ACM: Fave p l a c e/c i t y ? BG: Cleveland, Ohio. This is the city where my parents grew up and where they fell in love. I also have a lot of family out there and I love going to trips to visit them. AC M : F a v e c l o t h i n g p i e c e y o u o w n ? BG: My leather jacket and my Calvin Klein denim shorts. ACM: BG:

Fave Any

place to thrift

shop? store!

A C M : F a v e s e a s o n ? BG: I love fall because seeing the leaves change color is amazing and spring because I love colorful flowers. ACM: Fave Yo uTu b e r/ blogger? BG; Jenn Im from ClothesEncounters! She is the YouTube fashion queen and the first youtuber I started watching. You can find our full interview with The Comp l ex G i r l s a n d m o r e o n o u r we b s i t e .

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ALISON K. SAYLOR

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Alison Saylor is a fashion blogger and student based out of Nashville, Tenn. We recently got the chance to meet her and spend a day in Nashville to shoot some outfits that she put together. Alison’s blog is unique in the fact that she doesn’t encourage her readers to follow fast fashion and spend tons of cash on whats new, but instead she shows you how to take what you already have and make it new in many different ways. If you’re interested in fashion or just want to know how to style thepieces you already own, check out Alison’s blog for all the tips you could need! She has a new post every Sunday.

ACM: What sparked your interest with fashion? Alison K. Saylor: Fashion is an art to me and it was the only “art” category I was good at. I think the thing that really keeps me interested is that there is always something new and there is always something new to be created. Also, fashion is an art you can wear, not just something you can hang at your wall and look at sometimes.

ACM:

W hat ’s

been

hardest par t of star ting blogging for you?

AKS: The hardest part about starting my blog was knowing who I was, knowing what my style was, and knowing how I wanted people to view me in the fashion community. It was tough coming up with a name and an aesthetic I wanted to follow.

ACM: How does a blog post come to fruition? Start to finish. AKS: I don’t really have a process and this is what I like because it’s not a hassle for me. Before I shoot any content, I style a handful of outfits that come from my closet. I do not go out and buy or borrow anything specifically for my blog content. I also don’t style based on what i’m going to talk about with that specific blog post. I do it sometimes but the other times, when it’s time to start writing my post I come up with the topic based on my photos. I like that about my process, though. Nothing is forced or planned. Don’t get me wrong, I love a schedule, but this is something I don’t want planned out.

the

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ALISON K. SAYLOR

ACM: How do you stand out in a world that’s living in the dig- AKS: My favorite type of post to write is a post sharing my ital age and is being bombarded with images all day long? styling process. I really enjoy letting people in on my secrets.

AKS: I believe I stand out because I have my own aes- ACM: Can you describe your creative process? thetic. Obviously, everyone else does too but I make sure I’m consistent day in and day out. I want people to be scrolling through their Instagram, see me, and instantly know it’s me. I also stand out by being my truest self. I am always always always as real as possible with my followers because I want them to know me as a person and not a fake version of myself.

AKS: My styling process is always the same. I always have a vision in my head for my looks, but they may not come together how I wanted, so I just try a lot of different pieces on until I achieve my desired look. My writing process is pretty simple as well, since I try to be as real as possible, I write how I talk and I am never too serious.

ACM: How do you know when a blog post is successful? To read our full interview with Alison K. Saylor and see more exclusive photos from our shoot with her, check out our website.

AKS: So, on my website I can tell how many views each post got and I don’t base it off views alone because they may have not read my blog post. I base a blog posts success off of the feedback I get.

ACM: What is your favorite type of post to write?

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MAKEUP: Maresha Sturdivant JEWELRY: Bad Gal Jewelry PHOTOGRAPHY: Caroline Japal

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A JEWELRY

L MARESHA

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